Supt. on First Week of School: 'One of the Smoothest Openings'

Exactly how smooth did the opening week of school go?  Well if you walked into one of the nine buildings in the district, it was like summer never existed, according to Superintendent Rick Simon.

"I’ve been at this business, whether it’s been a principal or assistant super, for a long time, and I think this was one of the smoothest openings," Simon said.  "I think if you went into any of the buildings, you’d think it’s the middle of the year."

Simon, who's been leading the , says he is always impressed when he walks into a West Islip school and that there's now a "comfort level" between himself, the faculty and students.

"Last year I wasn’t a known entity but it was nice to come in and see so many students who know who I am, how they greeted me," he said. "I was certainly really pleased with how positive the tone was in all buildings."

The first year wasn't exactly a walk in the park for Simon either. With heavy financial burdens and unfunded mandates from the state, last school year produced one of the in recent memory.  But Simon said he thought his team of administrators and the Board of Education worked through it well.

"I would say most of the goals I set for myself and the district, I think we were able to accomplish them," he said. 

Aside from budgeting work, one aspect of the job Simon always takes pride in is visiting the schools as often as he could. And this year is no different.

"I think people know me and know that when I come into the building, I want to interact with both kids and staff," Simon said. "I’m not there to look for things that aren’t working well. I’m there to be supportive and want to be a part of whatever is going on."